Breaking Stars - J. Sterling Page 0,2

I cut her off. “No. Your place sounds perfect. I’d love to get away from here. It’s already a madhouse outside. Thanks, Quinn.”

“Of course. I love you. Drive safe.”

Quinn and I had bonded instantly on the set of my first movie when I was fourteen. She was a pro, had been acting since she was a little kid, and I’d been so nervous that I felt sick to my stomach when I arrived that afternoon. She had shared her french fries with me, reminding me that eating something was better than eating nothing when you were nervous and had to work until who knew when. I decided right then and there that any girl who would share her fries with a stranger was a keeper.

Plus, she was incredibly kind to me, and I envied the way she spoke her mind, no matter who she was talking to. Quinn Johnson never seemed afraid of anyone or anything, and I wanted to be more like her.

When production on our film wrapped, I wasn’t sure I’d ever see Quinn again, but to my surprise we became virtually inseparable. She was the one person in the world who really understood what I was going through. We shared experiences that other people couldn’t begin to relate to, and I was so happy to have her in my corner.

Tossing some comfortable clothes into an overnight bag, I wandered into my bathroom and gathered up my necessities as my phone rang yet again from my bedroom. I should have turned it off hours ago, but it wasn’t in my DNA to be rebellious and unreachable. The fact that I’d ignored most calls today was pretty out of character for me. Ever the obedient one, Paige Lockwood had always played by the rules.

I walked over to where my phone lay on my bed and checked the caller ID to see Colin’s name flashing across the screen. My stomach instantly churned and my heart seized. Willing my numb fingers to move, I pressed Ignore, half-tempted to throw the damn thing against the wall and watch it splinter into tiny pieces like my heart. Taking some calming breaths, I focused on each inhale and exaggerated exhale as he continued to call my phone, the calls finally stopping as my text message notification beeped.

It’s not what it looks like.

And then beeped again.

You know it’s fake. Those girls just want money.

Just talk to me, baby.

Please.

Baby? Lord give me strength if another man ever calls me “baby” again.

I rolled my eyes at his texts and wondered if he’d ever told me the truth in the last ten months. Thankful he was in another country and couldn’t show up here unannounced, I gathered what was left of my wits and my things, and headed out my front door. I made my way downstairs, knowing all too well what I’d be faced with once I was down there.

The dreaded paparazzi.

Thank God I’d had the foresight to choose a place in LA with a doorman, private parking, and twenty-four-hour concierge service. My parents suggested the concierge, and I’d been convinced that no such thing existed in Southern California. I’d never been happier than in this moment to be proven wrong by that simple fact. I loved the security and privacy that living here afforded me.

Lowering my sunglasses over my face, I stepped into the lobby and was immediately greeted by Sam, the concierge, his salt-and-pepper hair falling into his eyes. He quickly brushed the stray hairs away and walked with me toward the building’s exit.

“Good afternoon, Miss Lockwood.” His thick Latino accent filled the space between us and I marveled at how beautiful it sounded. I always did this around Sam, acted as if I were studying the very fabric of the language for a part or upcoming role. I never was, but he humored me anyway, talking purely for my enjoyment.

“The paparazzi are across the street. Right over there.” He gestured in the direction of a small crowd and I nodded in response, offering a tight-lipped smile as he continued. “They tried to come in, but I threatened to call the cops and have them all arrested for trespassing.”

“I really wish they’d pass some laws against this type of thing,” I said with a sigh.

“I know, Miss Lockwood. It makes me very nervous when you drive off and they chase you. Very nervous.” He nodded his head and looked up into the air as if offering a silent prayer.

I leaned toward him, placing my hand